books falling apart

[JeffD]

When my son was a tiger (last year) his book fell apart within the first few weeks. fortunately as the tiger leader - i had a spiral bound book for me. we solved that the next year by buying his wolf book spiral bound.

 

at the scout shop they have said they have had issues with tigers - but not so much the books for older scouts - so what is everyone else experiencing? im just debating between the following 3 options since the pack is buying books for all of our returning scouts

 

1. buy the non-spiral bound book for 6.99 because it doesnt fall apart like the tiger ones - and hope the tiger ones work better

2. buy the spiral book for 12.99

3. get the non-spiral bound book and go to kinkos for (hopefully) cheaper spiral binding?

 

thanks in advance

[CalicoPenn]

No suggestion here - just an observation.

 

If a lads book is falling apart, it usually means he (and in Cub Scouts - his parents) is reading and referring to it - a lot. As Martha might say "It's a good thing".

 

Except in the rare case where one experiences a manufacturing flaw, such as with the Tiger books. I'd take the Scout Shop folks at their word that they are only having problems with the Tiger books (which will likely be resolved as soon as that printing batch is sold out).

 

Calico

 

 

[ManyHats]

I picked up the spiral bound Wolf book this year. (I didn't know there was a price difference.) It was a lot nicer than the perfect bound Tiger book my son had the year before. Just the fact that it lies flat and you can use your hands without losing your place is a big plus. When I went to the scout shop to pick up a Bear book they only had the perfect bound ones. I'm sure they are trying to sell what they have. I guess I'll wait until I have an online order so the shipping isn't so much.(This message has been edited by ManyHats)

[ScoutNut]

My Pack also purchases the boys their new Handbooks. Because of the big price difference, we always give them the regular bound books.

 

If the parents want them spiral bound they can take them to Kinko's themselves, or purchase a sprial bound book on their own.

 

I have never had a problem with the Tiger's (or any other level) books loosing pages. The only book I have had that problem with is mine, which is now quite a few years old and the glue is starting to dry out!

 

Personally, I like the idea of the book staying flat, but I would think that, boys being boys, the pages would get lost easier from a sprial bound book.

 

[msnowman]

Way back when Nephew was a Tiger the book was still the large Orange book, not the nifty bound one they have now (he was the last class of Tigers under that program). However, as soon as he moved on the Wolf I bought him the blue & gold book cover. He used it for 3 1/2 years and it did an admirable job protecting his book even at camp. Of course coil bound wasn't an option thru his Cub Scout days.

 

Now if a parent asks which book I suggest the regular book for Tiger, Wolf & Bear but highly recommend the coil bound for Webelos. They use it for almost 2 full years (helps justify the extra 6 bucks) and it will stay open to whatever they are working on. Overall we haven't had a problem with the books (any of the books) staying in 1 piece....now if they came w/ a lo-jack option so you can find them when they wander away....

 

 

YiS

Michelle

[Trailblazermom]

My sons Tiger book fell apart. First the cover came unglued then the back pages started letting go. I had access to a stapler that binds really thick materials so that helped it stay together and I had to hot glue the cover back on. So far the other rank books are fine.

Trailblazermom

[Scouting Mom]

In 5 years of Cub Scouting, I've only seen two books come apart, both of them Tiger books from this year. The first one of these was a boy who got his book in April, even though he couldn't officially join until June 1. This same boy had earned his Bobcat by the first den meeting on June 6th. He's earned more elective beads and more beltloops than any other boy in the den. By October his book was being held together by a rubber band. The poor book just couldn't handle it. LOL.

 

But that's no excuse. Since the Tiger book is the most recently updated book, maybe it has something to do with the manufacture process, since none of the other books seem to have this problem.

[pinkflame]

Both of my son's Boy Scout Handbooks and two of my copies of the advancement book (the one with all of the rank and merit badge requirements) have fallen apart. We just use big ziploc bags and big rubber bands now.

[scoutmomma]

Buying a non-spiralbound book and taking it to Kinko's to have it turned into a spiralbound book is cheaper than buying it readymade with spiral binding, at least in the case of the Boy Scout handbook. Most of our really active Boy Scouts have their books start falling apart at some point, and we actively suggest their getting them spiral-bound at Kinko's. My son carried his beat-up book with a big rubberband around it for awhile, but since I had Kinko's "spiralize" it, we've both been happier.

[scoutmomma]

Buying a non-spiralbound book and taking it to Kinko's to have it turned into a spiralbound book is cheaper than buying it readymade with spiral binding, at least in the case of the Boy Scout handbook. Most of our really active Boy Scouts have their books start falling apart at some point, and we actively suggest their getting them spiral-bound at Kinko's. My son carried his beat-up book with a big rubberband around it for awhile, but since I had Kinko's "spiralize" it, we've both been happier.

[gmitt]

We have some Boy Scouts whose books are falling apart. For the worst case I put all the loose pages in, lined it up perfectly, then loaded a small (numbered drill bit - smaller than the 1/16th in a normal bit set) and drilled holes through the pages on the binding edge of the book, about 3/32 inch in from the edge and about 3/16 inch apart.

Then used some very tough button thread and sewed the book together top to bottom and back, finally tying the ends (and melting the thread ends as it was nylon.)

Since the gutter margin (inside edge margin) is deep enough in a Boy Scout Handbook this solution can work, and the book can be read and used. - The Scout was impressed and happy enough that his original book and original signed off advancements were saved.

I recommend that the boys use zippered book covers such as are available at Barnes & Noble, and Office Depot... any maybe some other stores. Ziplocks trap moisture and sooner or later may cause mildew.